LAKE LOUISE • The chief executive of Enbridge Inc. said Friday he’s confident the Northern Gateway pipeline between Alberta and the British Columbia coast will get the go ahead from a panel of regulators next month.

China’s CNOOC Ltd. has sketched out designs for a massive new liquefied natural gas project on the British Columbia coast, cementing plans for an energy link between Canada and the fast-growing Pacific market roughly one year after its acquisition of struggling Nexen Inc.

“We are confident that we have done a very thorough job, based on our application and the process we have gone through, and yes we think we will get regulatory approval,” Al Monaco said after speaking to a blue chip conference here about Canada’s challenges in gaining access to new markets for its oil and gas.

But Mr. Monaco said the company would continue its efforts to ensure there is better appreciation for the high safety and environmental aspects of the project.

A joint panel of the National Energy Board (NEB) and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) is expected to rule by the end of December whether the project is in the public interest, after holding 18 months of public hearings across the two provinces to gauge public views. The federal cabinet is expected to hand down a final ruling by mid-2014.

If Mr. Monaco is right, the approval would be the first among a handful of strategic pipelines being proposed or expanded to accommodate growing production of Alberta’s oil sands in new markets and will serve as an indicator of other pipeline decisions.

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All projects have come under heavy opposition from environmentalists, who are waging a public relations war against approvals as a way to choke oil production growth.

Enbridge’s Line 9 reversal is due for a regulatory ruling in mid-2014, TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone XL pipeline is in line for a decision by U.S. President Barack Obama in the spring of 2014, and Kinder Morgan is expected to file a regulatory application for its TransMountain pipeline expansion in December, with a regulatory decision due in 18 months. TransCanada is expected to file for regulatory approval of its Energy East project in early 2014.

Northern Gateway continues to struggle with opposition from some First Nations along the pipeline route, some of which have threatened civil disobedience if the construction moves ahead.

But Mr. Monaco said 26 First Nations have signed up for equity stakes in the project, and that’s positive.

“Obviously not everybody is going to necessarily agree with the project and we have some work to do to bring them on side. We recognize that we need to have a greater level of engagement with the public, and frankly a stronger level of publicsupport,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Bennett Jones Lake Louise World Cup Business Forum.

“It’s always our objective to share as much information as we can with people, so they get a better understanding for the project.”

Still, industry and government leaders gathered in the Alberta ski resort expressed frustration that opposition to pipelines and other resource projects could deprive Canada of a historic opportunity.

“It’s increasingly obvious that putting in place the required infrastructure is more challenging than it once was,” said Perry Spitznagel, vice-chairman and Calgary managing partner of Bennett Jones LLP. “We are at an inflection point and the clock is ticking.”

But many also said momentum is shifting in favour of resource development.

The attacks have resulted in “an unprecedented level of collaboration” between governments and business across the country, said New Brunswick premier David Alward, whose province is facing opposition to shale gas development.

“We will not allow those who scream the loudest to drag prosperity to a halt,” he said.

Murray Edwards, chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. and co-chair of the conference, said the shift is reflected in public opinion polls.

“Recent polling suggests that the public is tiring of the critics’ tactics,” he said. “Recent data shows that the Canadian public has closer alignment with the oil and gas industry than what NGOs are saying.”

Russ Girling, president and CEO of TransCanada, said industry needs to keep building public trust while taking the higher ground with activists.

“We are seeing conversations with every premier across the country,” he said. “We are on a great path. Canada can be the global leader in responsible resource development. It’s an opportunity for us and it’s an opportunity for us to lose.”

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